# 1972 NAIA Division I football season

The 1972 NAIA Division I football season was the 17th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA and the third season of the league's two-division structure.
The season was played from August to November 1972 and culminated in the 1972 NAIA Champion Bowl, played on December 9, 1972 in Commerce, Texas.
East Texas State defeated Carson–Newman in the Division I Championship Bowl, 21–18, to win their first NAIA national title.

## Conference realignment
### Conference changes

* This was the first season of play for the Great Plains Athletic Conference, which consisted of seven former members of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference from Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska.

### Membership changes

| Team | 1971 conference | 1972 conference |
| Emporia State | Rocky Mountain | Great Plains |
| Fort Hays State | Rocky Mountain | Great Plains |
| Northern Colorado | Rocky Mountain | Great Plains |
| Nebraska–Omaha | Rocky Mountain | Great Plains |
| Pittsburg State | Rocky Mountain | Great Plains |
| Southern Colorado State | Rocky Mountain | Great Plains |
| Washburn | Rocky Mountain | Great Plains |

## Conference standings

1972 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings :
| 1972 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 6 Harding + 5 –1 –010 –1 –0 Southern Arkansas + 5 –1 –08 –2 –0 Arkansas Tech 4 –2 –05 –4 –1 Ouachita Baptist 3 –2 –16 –3 –1 Henderson State 2 –4 –04 –6 –0 Arkansas–Monticello 1 –5 –02 –8 –0 State College of Arkansas 0 –5 –12 –7 –1 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1972 Carolinas Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 20 Presbyterian + 4 –0 –17 –2 –1 Elon + 4 –0 –17 –3 –1 Newberry 3 –2 –06 –4 –1 Catawba 2 –3 –05 –5 –0 Lenoir Rhyne 1 –4 –05 –6 –0 Guilford 0 –5 –00 –9 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1972 Evergreen Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 8 Central Washington $ 6 –0 –09 –1 –0 Oregon College 5 –1 –06 –4 –0 Southern Oregon 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Eastern Washington 2 –4 –03 –7 –0 Eastern Oregon 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Western Washington 2 –4 –02 –7 –0 Oregon Tech 1 –5 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1972 Great Plains Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Emporia State $ 5 –1 –07 –4 –0 No. 11 Nebraska–Omaha 4 –2 –08 –2 –0 Northern Colorado 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Southern Colorado 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Pittsburg State 3 –3 –03 –7 –0 Washburn 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 Fort Hays State 1 –5 –01 –8 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1972 Gulf South Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 Northwestern State $ 6 –0 –08 –2 –0 No. 3 Livingston ^ 5 –1 –08 –1 –2 No. 19 Jacksonville State 4 –1 –17 –2 –1 Delta State 5 –2 –07 –3 –1 Troy State 2 –3 –14 –5 –1 Southeastern Louisiana 2 –4 –04 –7 –0 Nicholls State 1 –5 –03 –8 –0 Florence State 1 –5 –02 –9 –0 Tennessee–Martin 1 –5 –01 –9 –0 Mississippi College 0 –0 –04 –5 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1972 Lone Star Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 East Texas State $^ 7 –1 –010 –2 –0 No. 12 Angelo State 6 –2 –08 –3 –0 Southwest Texas State 6 –2 –07 –3 –0 Howard Payne 4 –4 –05 –4 –0 Texas A&I 4 –4 –06 –5 –0 Sam Houston State 4 –4 –05 –6 –0 Sul Ross 3 –5 –05 –6 –0 Stephen F. Austin 2 –6 –02 –7 –0 Tarleton State 0 –8 –01 –9 –0 McMurry * 0 –0 –03 –6 –0 Abilene Christian * 0 –0 –03 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant * – did not complete for conference titleRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1972 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 10 North Carolina Central $ 5 –1 –09 –2 –0 No. 13 North Carolina A&T 4 –2 –08 –2 –0 Morgan State 4 –2 –05 –5 –0 Maryland Eastern Shore 4 –2 –04 –5 –0 Howard 2 –4 –06 –4 –0 Delaware State 2 –4 –05 –4 –0 South Carolina State 0 –6 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1972 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Gustavus Adolphus $ 6 –1 –06 –4 –0 No. 14 Saint John's (MN) 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 Concordia–Moorhead 4 –3 –06 –3 –0 Minnesota–Duluth 4 –3 –05 –4 –0 St. Thomas (MN) 3 –4 –06 –4 –0 Augsburg 3 –4 –05 –4 –0 Hamline 3 –4 –05 –4 –0 Macalester 0 –7 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1972 Nebraska College Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Kearney State $ 3 –0 –08 –2 –0 Chadron State 2 –1 –08 –2 –0 Wayne State (NE) 1 –2 –03 –7 –0 Peru State 0 –3 –03 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1972 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Michigan Tech $ 6 –0 –08 –1 –0 Minnesota Morris 5 –1 –08 –2 –0 Moorhead State 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 St. Cloud State 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Southwest State (MN) 2 –4 –03 –7 –0 Bemidji State 1 –5 –02 –7 –0 Winona State 0 –6 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1972 Oklahoma Collegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 7 Central State (OK) $^ 7 –1 –09 –2 –0 No. T–16 Northeastern State 6 –2 –08 –2 –0 No. 15 SW Oklahoma State 5 –3 –08 –3 –0 SE Oklahoma State 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Langston 5 –3 –07 –5 –0 East Central 4 –4 –04 –7 –0 Cameron 2 –6 –04 –6 –0 NW Oklahoma State 2 –6 –03 –6 –1 Panhandle 0 –8 –00 –11 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1972 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T East Division West Chester xy 5 –0 –07 –3 –0 Millersville 4 –2 –05 –3 –1 Bloomsburg 4 –2 –05 –5 –0 Kutztown 3 –3 –06 –3 –0 Cheyney 2 –3 –06 –3 –0 East Stroudsburg 1 –5 –04 –5 –0 Mansfield 1 –5 –02 –7 –0 West Division No. 18 Slippery Rock xy$ 4 –0 –18 –2 –1 Clarion 4 –1 –06 –3 –0 Edinboro 2 –2 –13 –5 –1 Lock Haven 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 Shippensburg 1 –4 –03 –6 –1 California (PA) 1 –4 –02 –6 –0 No. 9 Indiana (PA) * 0 –0 –08 –1 –0 Championship: Slippery Rock 29, West Chester 27 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant * – Ineligible for conference title Rankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1972 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Adams State $ 5 –1 –06 –3 –0 Western State (CO) 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Southern Utah 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Colorado Mines 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Western New Mexico 3 –3 –03 –5 –0 Westminster (UT) 1 –5 –03 –6 –0 Fort Lewis 1 –5 –02 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1972 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 / T–8 Grambling + 5 –1 –011 –2 –0 Jackson State + 5 –1 –08 –3 –0 Alcorn A&M 4 –1 –15 –3 –1 Texas Southern 3 –2 –15 –4 –1 Mississippi Valley State 1 –5 –05 –5 –0 Prairie View A&M 1 –5 –05 –5 –0 Southern 1 –5 –02 –7 –1 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division I poll and AP small college poll | 1972 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Shepherd $ 5 –0 –07 –3 –0 Bluefield State 5 –1 –07 –2 –0 West Liberty State 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 Salem 6 –3 –06 –3 –0 Glenville State 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 West Virginia State 4 –3 –04 –7 –0 Concord 2 –6 –03 –6 –0 Fairmont State 1 –5 –02 –7 –0 West Virginia Tech 1 –6 –01 –8 –0 West Virginia Wesleyan 1 –6 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference championConference standings based on power ratings |
| 1972 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Wisconsin–Oshkosh $ 8 –0 –08 –2 –0 No. T–16 Wisconsin–La Crosse 7 –1 –08 –2 –0 Wisconsin–Whitewater 6 –2 –07 –3 –0 Wisconsin–Platteville 4 –4 –06 –4 –0 Wisconsin–River Falls 4 –4 –04 –6 –0 Wisconsin–Eau Claire 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 2 –6 –02 –8 –0 Wisconsin–Stout 2 –6 –02 –8 –0 Wisconsin–Superior 1 –7 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1972 NAIA Division I independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Carson–Newman ^   –  10 –2 –0 Hillsdale   –  6 –2 –0 Wofford   –  6 –4 –0 Kentucky State   –  4 –6 –0 Eastern New Mexico   –  2 –8 –0 New Mexico Highlands   –  2 –7 –0 ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll |

## Postseason

| Semifinals November 25, 1972 | Semifinals November 25, 1972 | Semifinals November 25, 1972 | 1972 Champion Bowl December 9, 1972 Commerce, TX | 1972 Champion Bowl December 9, 1972 Commerce, TX | 1972 Champion Bowl December 9, 1972 Commerce, TX |
| Livingston | Livingston | 7 | | | |
| Carson–Newman* | Carson–Newman* | 7† | | | |
| Carson–Newman* | Carson–Newman* | 7† | Carson–Newman | Carson–Newman | 18 |
| | | | East Texas State* | East Texas State* | 21 |
| Central State (OK) | Central State (OK) | 0 | East Texas State* | East Texas State* | 21 |
| East Texas State* | East Texas State* | 54 | | | |
* † The game ended in a tie, but Carson–Newman advanced based on having more total penetrations within the 20 yard line.